5.14.2008

Giddy up, we're homeward bound

Went out for a run tonight without my mp3 player. Usually I have a song with a decent beat stuck in my head anyway, so it's not a problem. Not so tonight. So I thought of my standby song. It's a song I learned back in preschool about a...carriage ride. Trust me, it makes no sense. But the song isn't my point this evening.

Back when I was in seventh grade, I decided to join the cross country team. Probably because my friends were doing it. It certainly wasn't because I was any good. If I got tired, I stopped and walked, which happened every 400 meters or so. Though that might not have been a bad thing. My running style was more of a hop than a forward stride--I actually walked faster than I ran.

The Saturday before our first race, my mom took me out to the park to go through the course. As we went, she offered suggestions for how to get through the race, including singing this song in my head as I ran. We sang it together as I huffed and puffed along, shaking seed pods to the beat.

But like I said, it's not about the song. It's about the love. I didn't learn anything about endurance running that day. But I learned I was important to my mom. And every week when I talk to her, I know I still am. So happy Mother's Day, Momma. I love you.

2 comments:

Melissa said...

Girl...I need some updates on your life. :( I miss you. Come visit Utah.

Jenny Bay said...

I totally know that song! My mama used to sing it to us when we were little, and I sing it to my son! Hope you're doing well, I enjoy reading your blog! Love ya!